Meeting planners are optimistic about 2019, according to American Express Meetings & Events' 2019 Global Meetings & Events Forecast, based on a survey conducted in July and August of over 700 meetings and events professionals in 33 countries.
North America
Planners in North America predict the number of meetings and the number of attendees will increase across all meeting types in 2019 and that most meetings will last longer. Planners expect the estimated cost per attendee, excluding air costs, to be between $1,200 and $1,700 depending on the meeting type; internal meetings fall on the lower end while incentives spend is the highest.
The biggest meetings cost driver will be a 2.4 percent increase in the average hotel average daily rate. U.S. planners expect room rates to rise 2.68 percent, while planners in Canada expect them to rise 1.25 percent. To deal with these costs, planners are considering reducing room nights to stay on budget, but this will be a challenge given the forecasted rise in attendees and meeting length. Planners also said the reduction or elimination of commissions by key hoteliers pressures their budgets.
In the U.S., planners expect a 0.91 percent increase in meetings spend, in line with the forecasted 0.8 cost per attendee increase for North America. Planners in Canada expect their meeting spend to rise, but not as much as cost per attendee and overall activity will increase.
Europe
Internal team meetings and training meetings will remain the most prevalent meeting types in Europe. The meeting type for which the number of meetings will rise most is customer advisory board meetings. Product launches also will rise.
Across Europe, attendance will rise particularly for incentives and customer advisory boards. Exceptions are Denmark and Sweden, where incentive travel will not grow, and France, where attendance for neither meeting type will grow. Meeting planners in Germany, Poland and Switzerland forecast an increase in attendance for most meeting types.
Planners in Europe predict the cost per attendee to range from $1,000 to $1,590; the cost will remain flat for internal meetings and increase between 0.5 percent and 1.02 percent for all other meeting types.
The report forecasts costs to outpace meetings budgets in Europe. Planners in Europe expect the hotel average daily rate to rise 1.6 percent and eat up a considerable portion of their budgets. In addition, the commissions cuts and the ever-increasing focus on delivering exceptional attendee experiences will make dents in planning budgets.
Asia/Pacific
Planners in Asia/Pacific expect growth across several meeting categories. Incentives and special events, driven by increased activity in China and Hong Kong, will see the most growth. Regionally, attendance is expected to grow slightly across all meeting types except internal and trainings meetings. Planners forecast that less meeting space will be available and that group hotels rates will rise.
In addition, planners in the region expect meetings spend to increase by 0.86 percent, led by 4.3 percent growth across China and Hong Kong. Australia spend will dip 0.3 percent, and Japan meetings spend will decrease 0.7 percent.
Central & South America
For 2019, meeting planners in Brazil anticipate more conferences and tradeshows, group incentive travel, customer advisory board meetings and senior leadership meetings. Planners in Brazil also forecast an increase in attendance in all categories except internal team meetings and training. The biggest rises will come in customer advisory boards, conferences and tradeshows, and incentives. Meeting length also will increase the most in conferences and tradeshows and in incentives. Planners in Mexico expect meeting activity to remain relatively flat and anticipate modest attendance increases in all meeting types except conferences and tradeshows.